The Substitutes
by Depths of Silence
Summary: Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She thought of Mike, and about all the moments they had shared together during their training back at the Shiba's house. Then, those memories were gradually replaced by others, filled with yellow and red. She saw a white horse, she heard a deep voice. 'Don't worry. I'll protect you.' And she knew she was doomed. Jayden x Emily x Mike.
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns the plot. She does not own Power Rangers Samurai.  
**Title:** The Substitutes  
**Rating:** T  
**Pairing:** Jayden x Emily.  
**Authoress Note:** Okay, so I really have no idea of what came to me. I have never watched Power Rangers Samurai, but I have been reading a lot of Jayden x Emily's stories, and I must say I loved all of them. I really have no idea if you people are going to enjoy this, but I will still give this a try. I hope you guys like it. Moreover, I want to apologize for the errors you'll find; since English is my _second_ language, it's rather hard for me to correct the mistakes that I leave on every page before posting the new chapter.  
**Summary:** Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She thought of Mike, and about all the moments they had shared together during their training back at the Shiba's house. She could still see him dancing like crazy during her birthday party. Then, those memories were gradually replaced by others, filled with yellow and red. She saw a white horse, she heard a deep voice, and safety surrounded her like a fluffy blanket. '_Don't worry. I'll protect you.'_ And she knew she was doomed… Jayden x Emily.

* * *

**The Substitutes**

* * *

**Chapter I**

_Dear Emily,_

_How's everything? I am really sorry I haven't said much lately, but my life has been chaotic. Between cooking classes, singing classes, and helping Terry with a few concerts he wants to do for charity, I haven't had much of a break. Can you believe Terry even asked me to sing with him?_

_Oh, and then there's Kevin. He has been training really, really hard to join the Olympics. Whenever I have some free time, I go see him, to support him. It kind of reminds me back in the days when he would train nonstop, you know?_

_Oh, speaking of which, how's everything going on with Mike?_

_Also, before I forget, let me invite you to a party I'm throwing in two weeks. Kevin and I were talking last night and we figured it's about time the whole team gets together again. I mean, we might not be Rangers anymore, but should that really stops us from seeing each other once in a while?_

_I've already contacted the rest of the guys. Lauren was surprisingly the first one to respond and she assured me that she would come along with Jayden. I hope you can come too. I miss my little sister!_

_Talk to you soon!_

_Mia_

Emily Pirtle looked up from her yellow laptop, a sigh escaping from her lips. Her fingers were resting on the keyboard, and a faint headache was threatening to bother her throughout the rest of the day. Her eyes slipped to the laptop's screen again as thoughts consumed her mind.

As she reread Mia's words, Emily felt her insides twist and turn, her heartbeat increasing considerably as memories surfaced. It did not surprise her to read that Mia was doing everything she could to be around Kevin. Emily had always thought that Kevin had everything to be Mia's "Prince Charming", and inwardly wished her friend all the best.

Her case, however, was not that simple.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, ripping Emily away from her troubling thoughts. Pushing her frown away, she smiled, and gave permission to whoever was on the other side to walk in. It did not surprise her when Serena walked inside, a wide smile on her face.

"I was thinking about going check on the horses." Serena said, a hand still on the door. "Want to join me?"

Emily parted her lips to speak, her eyes slipping away from Serena to her laptop before she gazed back at her older sister once more. As if sensing that something was wrong, Serena let go of the door, and raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yeah…I was just reading an email Mia sent me." Emily told her sister as she glanced at the said email once again. "She invited me for a party she'll be hosting in two weeks. Apparently she wants to gather the whole team again."

"Really? That's a great idea!" Serena exclaimed, a wide smile gracing her features. "I know for a fact the team is all you've been thinking about lately."

Emily smiled faintly at that before she looked at her laptop. She knew Serena was right. She had been thinking a lot about her team during the past few days.

"Why haven't you replied yet?" Serena asked as she sat down on the bed, right next to Emily, who raised her eyes at the question. "You'll have the opportunity to be with your friends, and I'm pretty sure Mike won't be saying no to a party."

"I know, I know, it's just…" Emily trailed off, and looked down at her hands, "You're right. I have been dreaming about this for a long time now. I mean, I haven't really seen anyone aside from Mike for nearly six months, but…"

"Let me guess, this has to do with Jayden?"

Emily felt her breath get stuck on her throat at Serena's straightforward statement. Immediately, she looked away, her heart hammering on her ears. Closing her eyes, she thought of Mike's smile, and of how he would always laugh whenever she did something silly. She always loved his smile.

"…No." she answered, too weakly for her own ears, and when she looked at Serena, she noticed her tilted head. Serena obviously was not buying it. Licking her lips, Emily straightened her back, "You're right. I should send Mia an email, confirming my presence at the party."

"Emily…" Serena started to say, but Emily surprised her with a wide, white smile.

"Maybe I could take something to the party too. I'll ask Mia if she wants me to go earlier to give her a hand with the preparations!" as she spoke, Emily turned to her laptop, and started typing as fast as she could.

However, before she could go past the second sentence, Serena reached out for her left hand.

"Emily," Serena began, this time a little more strongly. Emily felt her heart skip a beat, and she gazed at her older sister. "I know that Mike was a sweetheart by helping you to move your things, and I know for a fact he cares for you deeply, but…"

There was a pause, and Emily felt her heart hammering against her rib cage. The sudden silence was itchy, and it was unbelievable uncomfortable. Emily watched as Serena parted her lips, and her breath hitched on her throat.

"I know what you think of—"

"Please, stop." Emily spoke, no longer caring about how pathetic her voice sounded. "I don't…I don't want to hear it."

"How could you possibly not?" Serena asked as she raised an eyebrow, "You were the one who told me everything as soon as you got home. I know you made a choice, but I also know that same choice has been bothering for a while now."

"You're right, I made a choice." Emily told her sister, pulling her hand away as she spoke. Inwardly, she struggled to ignore the crazy rhythm of her heart, "But I don't regret it."

"I never said you regretted it." Serena told her, matter-of-factly, "But I also know that lately you don't seem as happy as you like to pretend you are."

"Serena!"

"Just saying what I think. I'm your older sister; I'm supposed to say this kind of thing to you because I care about you." Serena pointed out as she stood up from the bed. "I know you like Mike; you can't really fake that sort of feelings, but I can't help seeing the look you get on your face whenever we talk about—"

"It would never work." Emily interrupted her sister, her voice calm, and Serena let out a small sigh. "We…it would never work. I was a replacement; he was a replacement, our lives…we… Mike helped me when everything ended, and…"

"Then, why did you refuse to date him?" Serena asked all of a sudden, and Emily paused. "I know you like Mike, and I definitely know he also has feelings for you. However, you never made it official. Have you ever wondered why?"

"That's not fair…"

"What's not fair? Me pointing out the obvious?" Serena asked as she crossed her arms against her chest, "Or is it that I'm making you see what you didn't want to see ever since you came home? Mike's like a shelter to you, I get it. However, I don't think you'll ever be able to actually be with him until you solve everything there is to solve with Jayden. That idea of yours that you were a replacement…that won't work forever."

"There's nothing to solve with him!" Emily said, feeling a little frustrated, and Serena shook her head. As she let her arms drop to her sides, Serena made her way towards the bedroom's door, and glanced at her little sister one last time.

"You keep telling yourself that. Who knows; maybe one day it'll become true."

As Serena closed the door behind her, leaving her younger sister to bath in the unexpected and troubling silence, Emily gritted her teeth. Glaring at her laptop's screen, she recalled every word Serena had just told her, but her scowl faded away after a few seconds.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She thought of Mike, and about all the moments they had shared together during their training back at the Shiba's house. She could still see him dancing like crazy during her birthday party.

Then, those memories were gradually replaced by others, filled with yellow and red. She saw a white horse, she heard a deep voice, and safety surrounded her like a fluffy blanket.

_Don't worry. I'll protect you._

Emily's eyes flew open as a familiar voice whispered in her ears, and she looked down at her laptop. Swallowing dry, she rested her fingers on top of the keyboard, and started typing a reply. After a couple of minutes, Emily sent the email before leaning against the pillows behind her.

In two weeks she would be seeing her dearest friends…

…And she could not help but feel downright nervous about it.

* * *

"So, what are you baking?"

Emily smiled as she slapped a hand away from the fresh baked muffins she had just pulled out of the oven. As she reached out for the flour, she turned around, knife in hand.

"Stay away from those muffins, Michael." she threatened him, and Mike's hand stopped midway in the air. "Those are too hot, and I really don't want to have to deal with your troubling stomach in an hour."

"Ah, c'mon; it's just one muffin!" Mike protested, "Just one tiny one. C'mon Emily, please?"

"No!" Emily laughed as she turned her back to him. However, as soon as she did so, she realized her mistake, and immediately turned to her heels. Her eyes widened at what she saw. "Mike!"

"What?" the former Green Ranger asked, mouth full with the muffin he had managed to snatch from the tray. Resting the hand that was holding the knife on her hip, Emily tried to glare at him the best she could under the circumstances. "It's just one! They won't even notice."

"You're impossible!" Emily tried to sound angry, but when Mike simply swallowed the rest of his muffin before smiling, she shook her head. "I knew I had made a mistake when I let you come here to help me. Your idea of help has nothing to do with what I had in mind."

"Will you forgive me if I say that was great?" Mike asked with his puppy eyes, and Emily rolled her eyes. When Mike shifted closer to her, Emily took the opportunity to point the knife at him again, causing him to jump backwards in surprise.

"Stop eating my muffins and you can consider yourself forgiven." she told him, and Mike smirked at that.

"Alright, no more muffins, I promise."

"Good." Emily told him before putting the knife away. However, before she could do anything else, Mike spoke again.

"I guess that means I can try the Castella cake once it's done, right?"

"Mike…" Emily whined, and the dark haired boy started laughing. "I won't have anything for the party if you keep trying out everything I do."

"Not my fault you're not that bad of a cook." Mike said with a chuckle, and Emily turned to him once again.

"Well, wait until you try some of Mia's stuff. From what I've heard, she has improved quite a lot since those last pizzas she tried to do for us." Emily told him, and when she saw the look on Mike's face, she chuckled. "Trust me, from what I've heard, it's not bad at all."

"Kevin's biased. We can't really believe in everything he says." Mike pointed out, and it was Emily's turn to let out a warm laugh, "But fine, I'll give it a try…or, well, I'll definitely do my best to survive to that."

"Speaking of which, shouldn't you be trying to do something as well?" Emily asked as she tried to focus on the task she still had to accomplish, but she felt Mike nod.

"Yeah, I'm in charge of the music and entertainment."

"I hope that doesn't mean you'll be spending the whole night playing videogames." Emily commented, and Mike leaned against the balcony, on her left.

"You have no faith."

"Oh, I have faith on you, alright, but that doesn't mean I don't know what to expect." Emily told him, and Mike smirked at that. Raising a hand, he rested his fingers on her arm, causing Emily to stop what she was doing to turn to him.

His face was so close she could feel his warm breath on her face.

"You'll see, by the end of the night you will be dancing with me." Mike told her, a knowing smile on his face, and Emily for her heart skip a beat. She knew what he was trying to do; he had been trying to do it ever since they had stopped being Rangers.

"Now that would be a first." she told him, looking away in search for the sugar. Next to her, she heard Mike let out a small sigh, but pretended not to hear it. "I just hope we all have fun. It has been such a long time since I've seen them. Mia I still see once in a while, but Kevin's always training, Antonio's completely focused in fishing, Lauren, apparently, has opened her own a _dojo_ and Jayden…"

Emily trailed off, and Mike looked away at her silence.

"He has been with Mentor Ji." he finished for her, and Emily glanced sideways at him before focusing on the task at hand. "I guess it has been a while since we've seen the whole team together…"

"Yeah…" Emily whispered, and Mike turned to her.

"Ready to see the whole gang again?" he asked, and Emily blinked at the question before turning to him with a confused mask on her face. "I mean, after how everything ended…"

"Of course I'm ready!" Emily said with a smile, "I mean; we're finally getting everyone together! I'm so excited about seeing everyone again!"

"Me too!" Mike agreed, and Emily smiled widely at him.

"Maybe this time Mia will have enough guts to ask Kevin to go on a date! Oh, that would be so romantic!"

"And with some luck there'll be another couple on the horizon too!"

Emily understood the meaning behind Mike's words, and turned around without replying. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she started gathering the ingredients she needed to bake the cake. Then, Serena's voice echoed in her mind.

_I know you like Mike, and I definitely know he also has feelings for you. However, you never made it official. Have you ever wondered why?_

_That's not fair… _

_What's not fair? Me pointing out the obvious? Or is it that I'm making you see what you didn't want to see ever since you came home? Mike's like a shelter to you, I get it. However, I don't think you'll ever be able to actually be with him until you solve everything there is to solve with Jayden. That idea of yours that you were a replacement…that won't work forever._

_There's nothing to solve with him!_

_You keep telling yourself that. Who knows; maybe one day it'll become true._

Then, a much deeper, enthralling voice emerged from the back of her mind.

_Don't worry. I'll protect you._

"Emily?" Mike's voice caught Emily by surprised, causing her to reach out for the knife she had been playing with before. Wincing, she felt the sharp tip cutting her skin. "Hey, are you alright?"

"It's okay, it's just a scratch!" Emily immediately said as she raised the palm of her skin to her lips, the metallic taste of her blood clashing with the bitter memories still swirling in her mind. "I was just lost in thought, I guess. I'm really nervous…about this cake."

"You really don't have to worry about it. Everyone will love it!" Mike calmed her down as he reached out for her wounded hand, and pulled it away from her lips. Silently, Emily allowed him to put her hand underneath the tab so that cold water could fall upon the small cut the knife had caused. "You'll see!"

A bitter sensation fell on her stomach while Emily nodded in agreement. Then, she looked down at their joined hands, and her heart clenched in pain.

_You keep telling yourself that. Who knows; maybe one day it'll become true._

**To Be Continued...  
**

* * *

So, what did you guys think? Should I continue with this or not? Thank you for reading The Substitutes!


	2. Chapter II

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns the plot. She does not own Power Rangers Samurai.  
**Authoress Note:** I really must leave here a special thanks to _Jemilyfan6_, _Katie_, _ButterflyDreamer767_, _TheScarletRanger_, _Guest_ and _WideOpenSpacesGirl045_ for your reviews. Just knowing you all enjoyed the first chapter so much led me to write this one pretty quickly. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

* * *

**Chapter II**

* * *

_Mia, we're already on our way. See you soon! xxx_

Emily put her cell-phone away before pulling her seatbelt over her shoulder. On her lap was the Castella Cake she had successfully managed to bake although not without some challenges. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed the basket where she had placed the muffins in the middle of the back seat.

"So, are we ready?" Mike asked as he occupied the seat next to Emily, causing her to turn to him. When he looked back at her with a smirk, she raised an eyebrow.

"I think that'll depend on how many muffins have you eaten while I wasn't looking." she observed, "Then again, this is the second Castella Cake I baked because _someone_ couldn't keep his hands off my cake."

"You're really not letting me win this, are you?" Mike asked, and Emily let out a laugh before shaking her head, "Fine, but in my defense let me tell you those are really good. Besides, you know how much I love muffins filled with nutella."

"You're incorrigible." Emily huffed as she finally put her seatbelt on, and Mike chuckled before he focused his attention in driving. As she felt the car come to life, Emily opened the window next to her, and closed her eyes as the wind breathed inside.

All of a sudden, her cell-phone buzzed, and Emily reached out for it. A smile graced her features as she read Mia's text. After a quick reply, she put the phone on her lap before she gazed at Mike.

"Mia just texted me; apparently Kevin's already there."

"Oh, the shock!" Mike exclaimed as he glanced sideways at her before he turned his attention to the road again, "I just hope they actually get something done before we get there."

"Don't be like that. I'm positive they are doing the best they can to make this memorable." Emily told him, and Mike chuckled.

"Memorable for them, I'm sure."

"And for us too, you silly boy," Emily told him as she punched Mike lightly on the arm, "Honestly, if I didn't know you any better I'd say you're actually rooting for the two of them."

"I guess you've been rubbing off on me." Mike stated, and despite of everything Emily felt her cheeks burn at his words. "Besides, it's not really as if seeing them getting together would be a surprise. Mia has been pinning over Kevin for far too long."

"Mia hasn't been pinning over Kevin; she's just been…patient." Emily responded, her eyes slipping to the window on her side. "Really patient, if you ask me, so it's only natural for me to want to see her happy."

"If she's learned how to cook, then I'm pretty sure she's halfway to do just that."

"Only you to think men can be conquered through their stomachs." Emily laughed as she glanced at him, and Mike smirked at her observation. Then, his eyes met hers.

"Would it be that bad if I said it's kind of true?"

Emily looked away at that question, her cheeks still burning, a strange sensation bubbling in her stomach. For a moment, she simply watched as the scenery slipped by them as Mike drove the car down the road. He had always been doing that sort of thing; making her laugh, and causing her to flirt back whenever he flirted with her.

She knew Mike was an amazing guy. She also knew he deserved everything good in his life. Emily had been honest when she had told Serena that being with Mike made sense, because it was true. He always laughed at her silly antics, and caused her day to brighten up whenever she was down.

Back when they had been Power Rangers, she had always seen Mike as her shelter. He had always been around whenever she needed, but she guessed that was not the problem. Oh no, the issue was not in anything Mike had done before…

…No, the problem was her. The problem was in the thoughts that constantly tormented her; thoughts and emotions that had surfaced again after she had read Mia's invitation.

As she looked down at the Castella Cake, Emily took a deep breath, and glance sideways at Mike. He was changing the radio station, a hand still on the wheel while his eyes were fixed on the road ahead.

She knew he knew. Mike had always been insightful, although his rebel temper had kept that aptitude concealed. They had tried to speak about it once, but Emily's heartache had stopped her from deepening the conversation. Mike, as the sweet guy he was, had decided to drop the subject.

Still, he had not needed more than to simply look into her eyes to know.

Jayden Shiba's shadow had been lurking around ever since they had finished their duties as Power Rangers.

"I'm sorry…"

"What was that?" Mike asked, and Emily snapped from her thoughts. Raising her head, she turned to the young man next to her, only to notice his raised eyebrow. Gasping, she finally realized she had just spoken her thoughts out loud.

"Ah, nothing, I was just…wondering how long it'd take us to get to Mia's." she quickly told him, and Mike let out a warm laugh.

"We'll be there in an hour or so. You're really anxious about seeing those two, aren't you?" he asked, but before Emily could answer, he continued. "And why do I have the feeling you'll be playing the Cupid tonight?"

"I will not!" Emily responded, trying to look and sound offended. "I've never done anything of the sort, and I'm certainly not going to do it now."

"Right, right, you keep telling yourself that." Mike teased, not realizing he had just turned a switch in Emily's mind.

_You keep telling yourself that. Who knows; maybe one day it'll become true._

Closing her eyes, Emily tried to control her thoughts. However, she knew she was fighting a lost battle when her mind took her back in time. From the darkness of her thoughts a white horse emerged. Sitting on top of the horse, clad in red, was a young man with a proud stance, who spoke powerful words.

Her heart shook as she saw his clear eyes.

"Emily?"

Emily's eyes snapped open, and her head turned to Mike. Through the maze that was her mind, she managed to see his confused and worried expression. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath, and tried to smile.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"I figured as much."

The radio sang as the wind blew. Outside, the sun shone brighter and brighter, and for a second Emily found herself feeling bad about the whole situation. Maybe seeing the rest of the team was not a good idea. Maybe seeing them would just make everything worse.

That was when Emily realized Mike was slowing down, but before she could even look at him, he parked the car on the side of the road. Moments later, an arm was resting on her seat, and Emily felt her heart skip a beat at the intensity of Mike's gaze.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing…" Emily answered a little too weakly, and she had to stop herself from shifting away from Mike's penetrating stare. "I'm sorry, I was just…"

"Lost in thought, yeah, I got it." Mike interrupted her as he gestured a little in the air. "I guess we have that covered. However, now I have a question, and I'd like for you to be completely honest about it."

Emily could only nod in understanding.

"Is this about Jayden?"

"W-What?" Emily asked as she tried to keep her eyes locked with Mike's, and he took a deep breath before repeating the question.

"Does all of this have anything to do with Jayden?"

Emily parted her lips to speak, but she adverted her eyes when she noticed Mike's growing frown. Her heart thumped furiously against her chest, so strongly she was afraid Mike could hear it. Inwardly, she took a deep breath.

"Mike…"

"That's what I thought." Mike spoke all of a sudden as he turned to the wheel, and Emily reached out for his arm. When Mike did not even glance at her, she shifted closer to him, thankful that he had not tried to revive the car yet.

"Mike, I'm sorry," she apologized, "This has nothing to do with Jayden, I promise. I'm just…I think that just the thought of seeing everyone again is making me remember everything we used to do. I promise that's all there is."

"I'm nervous about seeing them too, Em, and I'm sorry." Mike said after a short period of silence, and Emily tried to smile when he looked at her. "Just promise me you'll talk to me if something starts bothering you."

"Okay, I promise." Emily said, and Mike smirked at her. "Now, can we please go? Mia will kill us if we get there late, especially since we promised we'd get there earlier to help them out."

* * *

"Emily!" the blonde haired girl turned around at the female voice. Emily barely had time to hold onto the cake she was carrying as Mia Watanabe threw her arms around her. "It's been such a long time since I've last seen you!"

"Mia!" Emily laughed wholeheartedly, struggling to hug her friend back since there was a cake between them. "Thank you so much for inviting us! I've been dying to see you!"

"Of course I'd invite you, silly; you're part of the team!" Mia laughed as well before she looked at the person that emerged from the other side of the car. Resting a hand on Emily's arm, she smiled widely. "Hey Mike!"

"Hey, how's it going?" Mike asked as he smiled back at her, and Mia chuckled. "Is the party ready or what?"

"Well, we've kind of been waiting for our DJ." Mia responded, and Mike smirked before raising a CD in the air. "You can go take care of it if you'd like."

"I'll take care of everything immediately. Where's Kevin?"

"He's inside. I think he was setting the table." Mia responded, and Mike chuckled at that.

"Still trying to be perfect at everything, eh?" he asked, but before Mia could respond, he waved the CD in the air. "Well, let me put some music on. Maybe Kev will loosen up after a couple of songs."

With that said, Mike waved a hand, and rushed inside the house. Mia let out a small laugh while Emily shook her head. Still holding the cake to her side, Emily turned to the car, and tried opening the back door.

"Here, let me help." Mia offered as she opened the door, and Emily smiled at her. "Do you want me to take this basket inside?"

"Yes, please, those are muffins." Emily told Mia as the former pink ranger straightened up before closing the door of the car. "And this is the cake I told you about. My second cake, actually, because Mike kindly ate the first one I baked."

"You had Mike helping you at the kitchen?" Mia asked as the two of them made their way towards the front door, and Emily chuckled.

"He was supposed to. I mean, you know how much of a klutz I am." Emily confessed with a small shrug of her shoulders, "Unfortunately, having him there was more distracting than I thought. I nearly put salt instead of sugar because he kept distracting me."

"Gee, you guys are that serious, eh?" Mia inquired as she walked inside the house, and Emily halted by the door. When she realized she was walking alone, Mia looked over her shoulder, eyebrow raised, "Something wrong?"

"Oh, no, I was just…" Emily paused, and quickly made her way to her friend's side, "Well, maybe I should tell you that Mike and I are—"

"Emily!" a voice called out, and Emily turned to look at a door on her left only to see Kevin emerging from there. "It's so nice seeing you again! Here, let me help you with that!"

"Kevin!" Emily greeted him back with a bright, white smile. "How are you?"

"Good, good, trying to keep up with my swimming schedule." the former blue ranger responded, and Emily smiled widely at that. Then, Kevin reached out for the cake she was carrying. "I noticed Mike's as energetic as always."

"Well, you know how some things just don't change."

"Still need to figure out if that's good or not," Kevin teased her, and Emily laughed lightly at that. "Anyway, you can go join Mike in the living room if you want. It's the first door on the left. You two are actually the first ones to get here."

"I'd rather help you guys. You know how Mike is whenever he's doing his thing." Emily said, and Mia took the chance to elbow Kevin on his side. When he turned to her, Mia smiled sweetly at him.

"You go see Mike, Kevin. Emily and I were gossiping." she told him, "Unless, of course, you want to gossip with us?"

"No, thank you, I'll leave the soap-operas to you." Kevin immediately responded before he looked down at the cake. Then, he turned to Emily. "Sorry, it seems like you'll be the one carrying this to the kitchen after all."

"I'll do my best to make sure it gets there in one piece." Emily replied with a smile, and Kevin smiled back at her before he made his way to the living-room. Once they were alone, Emily shared a knowing look with Mia before following her friend to the kitchen.

"You and Kevin sure seem quite comfortable around each other now." Emily commented as she settled the cake on the counter. "You sure you two aren't going out already?"

"Pretty sure; Kevin's completely focused on his training right now." Mia answered as she put the basket down. Then, she turned to the kitchen cabinets, and opened one of them. She continued talking at same time she took two plates from inside, "But it's okay, I can wait. I mean, we've gone a long way, and I'm most certainly not going to give up now."

Emily smiled at that, not really surprised by Mia's determination. Her friend had always been like that, strong-minded and always so sure of what she wanted. Emily knew from a fact that Mia was not going to give up, and she could not be any prouder of her best friend.

"What about you and Mike?" Mia asked all of a sudden as she began putting some muffins on the plate. "Are you finally dating? I mean, he did go all the way to help you move your things, and you've been inseparable ever since."

"Oh, err…" Emily tried to distract herself by playing with her cake, as if she was trying to make sure it was intact from the trip. After a few seconds in silence, Mia stopped what she was doing, and looked at the former yellow ranger.

"Emily?" she called out in concern and the blonde haired girl looked up at her. Putting one last muffin on the plate, Mia put it aside before making her way to Emily's side. "Is everything alright between you and Mike?"

"Yes, everything's fine." Emily responded with a quick nod, "It's just that we…we aren't together…like that…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was under the impression the two of you would…"

"Yeah, apparently you're not the only one to think that way." Emily mumbled when Mia trailed off. When she realized Mia was still looking quite worried, Emily tried to smile. "Please, don't get me wrong, I really like Mike."

"And he likes you too." Mia declared with a nod, before making a pause, "But you don't look that happy about it. What's going on?"

"I really don't want to be a wet blanket…" Emily began, but when she noticed the way Mia was looking at her, she let out a sigh. "It's just that...for some reason, I just…I can't…"

"You can't be with him?" Mia finished the sentence for her, and Emily paused before nodding. "I see… And is there any particular reason as to why…?"

"Hey guys, look who's here!" Kevin exclaimed as he appeared at the door with a wide smile. Both Emily and Mia turned to him in time to see Lauren and Antonio appear from behind Kevin, both looking quite vibrant.

"Lauren! Antonio!" Mia exclaimed as she walked to them, and Emily did the same. While Mia went to Lauren, Emily suddenly found herself being pulled into a bear hug by Antonio.

"Emily, you look so beautiful!" he nearly cried out, "Muy bonita! How are you?"

"Hey Antonio!" Emily greeted him back while trying not to blush at his unexpected compliment. When he finally released her in order to hug Mia, Emily turned to Lauren, and smiled at her. "Lauren, how are you?"

"I'm alright, thank you. How are you?" Lauren asked back, and Emily chuckled.

"I'm good."

"_Hey guys, the music's ready!"_ Mike shouted from the living room, _"And where's the food? I'm starving!"_

"Coming!" Mia yelled back with a laugh before she turned to Lauren, "But hey, if you two are here, where's Jayden?"

"Right here!" Kevin answered from behind Lauren, and Emily felt her heart skip a beat while her insides began to burn in anticipation. Even though Antonio was still standing in front of her, Emily still managed to see as a familiar face emerged next to Kevin.

A pair of blue eyes looked directly at her and all air faded away from Emily's lungs as one single word escaped from her lips.

"Jayden…"

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter III

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns the plot. She does not own Power Rangers Samurai.  
**Authoress Note:** I really must leave here a special thanks to _TheScarletRanger, Littlec112, Jemilyfan6_, _jg13145_ and _WideOpenSpacesGirl045_ for your reviews. I hope you enjoy the ride!

* * *

**Chapter III**

"Emily, can you put this on the table, please?" Mia asked as she handed Emily two juice jars. Nodding, Emily quickly went to her, and grasped both jars. However, as soon as she held onto the second jar, she knew she had done a mistake.

"Ah!" she gasped as she felt the jar she was holding with her left hand slipping from her fingers. "Mia—!"

Suddenly, a hand shot up from out of nowhere, and grabbed the jar just as it slipped completely from her grasp. Widening her eyes, Emily turned to the person that had appeared on her side. Releasing the breath Emily had not realized she had been holding, she smiled.

"Thank you, Antonio!" she thanked the dark haired man, who smiled back at her.

"De nada, señorita," Antonio responded in his usual cocky manner, and Emily had to stop herself from laughing at the smug expression on his face. "Next time, make sure only to take what you can carry."

"I guess I should have learnt that lesson a long time ago, right?" Emily asked as she turned around, and Antonio glanced sideways at Mia before following the blonde haired girl out of the kitchen. "Thank heavens you were there."

"Never forget the golden age is before us, not behind us." Antonio told her, and Emily chuckled at that. Only Antonio to make statements related to his Golden Ranger status. Then, the two of them walked inside the living room, and Emily smiled at what she saw.

Music was blasting as Mike walked around the table, nibbling on every food he could find. Kevin was following the former Green Ranger, lecturing him about something. Mike, as usual, was acting as if no one was talking to him. That was when Lauren emerged from the door that led to the balcony, her eyes quickly landing on Antonio's figure.

Emily smiled to herself when she noticed that. She had never expected for Lauren to actually be interested in someone, much less Antonio of all people, but apparently she had been wrong. Still, Emily could not help but be happy about it. Lauren deserved all happiness, and she knew Antonio would help her finding balance in her life.

Smiling as she put the juice jar down on the table, Emily looked at Mike, and her smile widened. He was always trying to make everyone laugh and at same time he was always struggling to keep up with the rest. As she watched him finally retorting to whatever Kevin was saying, Emily recalled all those moments when they had worked together as a duo. They had always worked together so well. They understood each other amazingly well, and Emily knew she was lucky for having someone like Mike in her life.

The question was how could something so right feel so wrong?

"Hey, amigo! What's that?" Antonio asked all of a sudden as he placed his jar next to Emily's. Looking over her shoulder, Emily watched as Jayden made his way towards her while holding a plate with both hands.

"This is something Mia baked." Jayden responded, and Emily felt her breath get stuck on her throat when he stopped next to her. His arm brushed against hers as he put the plate down on the table, his bare skin causing her whole body to burn up.

Unconsciously, Emily tried to shift away from his touch only to realize she could not because Antonio was on her other side.

"Mia said its _monaka_." Jayden added as everyone observed the unfamiliar dessert. When no one spoke, Kevin smirked.

"It's made of azuki bean jam filled between two mochi pieces." he clarified, and everyone looked from the dessert to him. "Trust me; it's really good. Mia worked really hard to make sure she'd have things you guys would like to try out."

"So, does that mean there'll be no crazy cooking?" Mike questioned as he glanced down at the _monaka_ again, a skeptical expression on his face. Chuckling, Kevin turned to him, and rested both hands on the table.

"No, Mia still cooks crazy, but most of the time it's for herself." he said, "She knows I have to follow my strict diet, so when we came up with the idea for this party, I told Mia to go for it. I think she's planning on doing some pizzas for dinner."

"Oh dear…"

"We'll talk after you see her pizzas." Kevin told him, and Mike raised an eyebrow before letting out a low whistle.

"Do miracles really happen?"

"C'mon Mike, don't be like that." Emily spoke as she turned to face him. Even though she was smiling, on the inside she was tense. She could still feel Jayden standing too close to her, so close that it seemed as if his heat was teasing her. "You, of all people, should know that anyone can change."

"That's true. I mean, you're the one who decided to go to College!" Kevin agreed as he turned to Mike, "Only heavens know how that happened!"

"Hey!"

"Here's Emily's Castella Cake!" Mia announced as she walked inside the living room, unknowingly interrupting Kevin and Mike's argument. Antonio stepped aside so that Mia could settle the cake down before smiling widely at all of her friends. "Now this party can finally begin!"

"Let's start with Emily's cupcakes!" Mike exclaimed all of a sudden, drawing everyone's attention to him. "She baked one for each of us. She even managed to find some golden sugar just for Antonio!"

"What? You did?" Antonio asked as he rushed to Mike's side, and stared at the muffins that had been neatly placed in the centre of the table. His eyes widened at what he saw. "Wow! I didn't even realize you had done muffins with our ranger colors!"

"Actually, Mia was the one who gave me the idea in one of her emails." Emily told them as she rested a hand on the former Pink Ranger's arm. "I just offered to bake them because I knew she'd be incredibly busy doing everything else."

"Well, why don't you distribute them, then?" Lauren asked as she reached out for the plate at same time Antonio tried to grab his muffin. As she offered him a small smile, Lauren handed the plate to Emily, "Since you've baked them and all."

"Oh. Okay, I can do that." Emily said as she accepted the plate. Smiling, she reached out for the one filled with strawberries. "This is for Mia…"

Quickly, Emily handed out the muffins to her friends until there were only two left. Slowly, she turned to Jayden, and tried to smile at him. Without taking her eyes off his, Emily reached out for one of the cupcakes.

"Here, for you."

"Hey, Em, isn't that your cupcake?" Mike asked with his mouth full, but before Emily could react, Jayden took the muffin from her hand. It was only when she turned to the former Red Ranger again that Emily saw the lemon-frosted cupcake he was holding.

"Wait, Jay—"

"It's ok. You can eat mine." Jayden interrupted her with a small smile before he took a bite from the cupcake. Emily felt her cheeks burn at his antics, and she shyly looked down at the lonely, red velvet cupcake that was still on the plate, "But this is great!"

"He's right, this is so good!" Mia nearly moaned as she took another bite of her own cupcake. Emily took the opportunity to turn to her friend at same time she struggled to keep her flustered face concealed. "You really need to give me the recipe."

"And now we can finally start dancing!" Mike exclaimed before giving a somersault backwards. Whilst both Mia and Emily laughed at his antics, Kevin rolled his eyes. Antonio shared a look with Lauren before gazing at Jayden, who looked back at him.

"Sure, why not?" Mia laughed as she went to Mike's side, grasping Kevin's wrist as she walked around the table. "C'mon, let's dance for a while. We'll have plenty of time to talk during dinner!"

"Shall we go too?" Antonio asked as he looked at Lauren, who simply smiled apologetically at him.

"Sorry, but I don't really know how to dance." she told him before glancing at Mike, and watch him dance like crazy for a few seconds. "And I most certainly don't know how to dance like that."

"Aw, cariño, you don't have to worry about that. It's not as if I can dance either." Antonio told her with a small smile, and he pointed at Mike with his thumb. "Besides, we've gone through much worse. Just one song, what do you say?"

"Well…" was all Lauren managed to say before Antonio took his chance to reach out for her arm, and pull her in Mia and Kevin's direction.

Emily could not help but laugh as she watched Kevin trying to mimic Mia's moves. Lauren also looked like a fish out of water as she let Antonio take her to what could now be considered the dance floor. Mike was the only one who was truly where he belonged.

"Want to go too?"

Emily gasped, and dropped the cupcake. Before she could even react, Jayden's arm appeared before her eyes, and he grabbed the cupcake with a quick movement of his wrist. When his eyes turned to look at her, Emily felt all oxygen abandon her lungs.

Her spine began to tingle, warmth spreading throughout her chest as she watched Jayden straighten up. Had he always been so tall? He had never looked that tall before. And his eyes, had they always been that dark before?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Jayden apologized, and Emily looked down when she realized he was giving her the cupcake back. With a shaky smile, she grabbed it, ignoring her flipping heart when her fingers touched the palm of his hand.

For a second, Emily just observed the half eaten cupcake. She only looked up when she felt Jayden shift as he prepared himself to walk away. Unable to think, Emily raised her free hand, and grabbed his upper-arm.

When he turned to look at her, Emily saw the fragment of something disappear in the depths of his eyes.

"One dance." she managed to say, inwardly thanking heavens for her voice not quivering. She, then, felt the corner of her lips curling upwards into a shy smile. "Let's try one dance."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Jayden's face, and Emily felt herself blush under the intensity of his stare.

"Sure." he agreed with a quick nod, "One dance."

Slowly, they made their way to the dance floor, but when Emily was about to face Jayden, she gasped. Twirling around, she grasped Jayden's arms, her widened eyes finding his in a matter of seconds.

"I completely forgot about Mentor Ji!" she exclaimed, ignoring the perplexed expression on Jayden's face. "How is he? Is he coming here too?"

"Oh, Mentor Ji, yeah, he's great!" Jayden answered as his confusion faded away, and a smirk appeared on his face. "Unfortunately he couldn't come. You know how he is; he just doesn't feel comfortable leaving the Shiba house when no one else's there."

"I wish I could see him…" Emily confessed, her eyes lowering for a moment. When she raised them, moments later, she smiled widely at Jayden. "Please, give him a big kiss for me next time you see him."

"Can I just give him a hug?" Jayden asked, and Emily blinked at that. When she finally realized what had just happened, she found herself blushing.

"O-Of course…" she nearly winced at her stutter, but Jayden simply smiled at her. Without breaking the eye contact, Emily allowed for her hands to run down his arms until her fingers met his. Then, she smiled at him. "So, shall we go dance?"

"Su—"

"Hey Em, get over here!" Mike exclaimed all of a sudden, making Emily look away from Jayden's eyes, and consequently miss the way he looked away. Without any warning, Mike appeared next to Emily, and grabbed her arm. "I so know which song we should play next!"

Mike started dragging Emily in direction of the stereo as he spoke. All the former Yellow Ranger could do was glance at Jayden, who was now silently watching them walking away.

That was when she noticed it.

Had Jayden ever look as lonely as he was on that moment?

* * *

"Hey, what's this?" Antonio asked as he tilted his head to the side. Carefully he made his way towards a bookcase, and reached out for a dark wooden frame. Then, he turned to look at Mia. "When was this taken, and why don't I have a copy?"

"Oh that, Mentor Ji gave it to me," Mia explained as everyone went to look over Antonio's shoulder. Emily, being the petite girl she was, was finding it a little difficult to take a look at the picture until a warm hand led her to Antonio's left side.

A feeling at the bottom of her stomach told her the hand did not belong to Mike…

"It was taken right before we left the Shiba's house." Mia continued as she made her way towards the group that was still carefully examining the picture. "Mentor Ji took it when we weren't looking. I always thought he had given a copy to all of you too."

Gently Emily took the frame from Antonio's hands, and took a closer look at the picture. The whole team was in the living room, occupying the various seats, playing a board game with their zords. Lauren was standing, arms crossed, observing the game, a smile on her lips. Mia was laughing wholeheartedly while Kevin was snickering at Mike's miserable face. Antonio was staring at the board game with an extremely serious expression. Emily herself was laughing at Mike's behavior while Jayden…

Emily felt her breath get stuck on her throat.

Jayden was playing with her Ape, a small smile on his lips.

"Man, it seems like it was just yesterday." Mike commented as he snatched the frame from Emily's hands. It was only then that Mike noticed the expression he had on the picture, and his smirk faded away into horror. "Oh no, look at my face!"

"Yeah, you're clearly losing." Kevin snickered while trying, quite unsuccessfully, to hide his amusement behind his hand, "Most likely to Emily too. Remember how she usually won that game? It was insane!"

"Sorry…" Emily apologized, looking quite embarrassed, and everyone looked at her for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"Seriously, Emily, only you to apology for winning on a board game," Mia laughed as she threw an arm around her best friend's shoulders. "Besides, you really shouldn't apologize for making Mike lose. That's always entertaining to watch."

"Hey!" Mike shouted, and then it was Mia's turn to take the frame from his hands. Smiling widely, she handed the picture back to Emily, who accepted it with both hands.

"Besides, have you seen the look on his face? It's hilarious!"

"I agree!" both Kevin and Antonio chorused, making Mike glare at them. Chuckling, Mia dropped her arm from Emily's shoulders before turning to face the rest of her friends.

"What do you guys say about eating some pizzas?" she asked, completely oblivious of the expression that appeared in Mike's face. Smiling, Lauren left Jayden's side to make her way to Mia.

"I'll help." she offered before gazing at Emily, who looked back at her, "And I believe Emily will too."

"Me? Oh yeah, sure..." Emily said, and before she knew it, she was handing Jayden the picture, who took it without a word. Leaving the boys all by themselves in the living-room, Mia, Emily and Lauren made their way towards the kitchen.

"So, Lauren..." Mia began as she made her way towards the fridge, "I couldn't help but notice how close you and Antonio have become. Is there something we should know?"

"Nothing's going on; we're just friends." Lauren responded as she leaned against the table in the centre of the kitchen, and Mia raised an eyebrow at that. Emily smiled at the Pink Ranger's behavior before turning to Lauren.

"You know, I noticed it too." she said, her smile widening when Lauren turned to her. "Antonio hasn't left your side ever since you guys arrived."

"What does Jayden have to say about his best friend dating his big sister?" Mia inquired as she took more drinks from the fridge, and handed them to Emily. "I bet he couldn't agree more with you two getting together."

"I'm not entirely sure Antonio and I are the issue here." Lauren said all of a sudden, and both Mia and Emily stopped what they were doing to look at her. "I mean, we all know you, Mia, are just waiting for the perfect moment to ask Kevin on a date."

"Wait, so we're going to talk about me?" Mia asked in bewilderment, and Emily felt dread consume her when Lauren's laughing eyes suddenly turned to her.

Oh no…

"Actually, we're going to talk about Emily here." Lauren observed, and Mia looked away from the Red Ranger to gaze at her best friend. Crossing her arms against her chest, Lauren continued, "I know we're not exactly the closest friends, but I do have something I'd like to ask you."

"Okay…" Emily whispered, not really enjoying the experience of being in the spotlight.

"Well, maybe Antonio has been rubbing off on me, but…how's everything going on with Mike?"

"W-What?" Emily stammered, and Mia unhurriedly made her way to Lauren's side. "Everything's fine with Mike. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you did tell me you guys aren't dating," Mia stated as she gesticulated a little, "However, I do remember you guys holding hands when we left the Shiba house. Mike even said he'd try helping you out and stuff. Did something happen?"

Emily parted her lips to answer when her eyes landed on Lauren's expression. It was so upsetting the way her stare looked so alike to Jayden's. As she bit her lower lip, Emily looked down, and started twiddling with her thumbs in cheer nervousness.

"No, nothing happened." Emily said as she finally raised her head. "Mike's a sweetheart, and trust me if this was left to him, then we… We'd certainly be…"

"Then, why aren't you?" Mia inquired as she raised an eyebrow. When Emily failed to find an answer, Mia tilted her head to the side, her eyes widening in realization. "Wait! Does…does all of this have anything to do with another guy?"

Emily's heart skipped a beat at that, her eyes immediately turning to Lauren. A couple of seconds rolled by until Lauren's eyes widened in understanding,

"Oh…" she whispered, and Mia turned to her.

"What?"

"Emily…" Lauren breathed out, and the Yellow Ranger looked down in embarrassment. Wrapping her right hand around her left elbow, Emily took a deep breath in before she raised her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Hey Mia, do you need any help?" Kevin asked all of a sudden as he walked inside the kitchen, causing Emily to jump in fright. When the three women turned to him, Mia looking annoyed, Lauren looking apprehensive, and Emily looking like a deer caught in headlights, Kevin knew he was in trouble. "Err…am I interrupting something?"

Looking from Lauren to Emily, Mia narrowed her eyes a little before turning to Kevin. Without uttering a word, she made her way to the former Blue Ranger's side.

"Hey, Kev," she started in a sweet tone, a smile on her face. Without looking away from Kevin's eyes, Mia wrapped her arms around his left one, "What do you say if we have a sleepover tonight? I don't think we'll be able to catch up on our gossiping over one single dinner."

"A sleepover?" Kevin repeated, and when Mia nodded, he blinked. "Well, I don't know…we didn't really tell the rest of the guys we were planning on having a sleepover…"

"That's because we weren't, but the thing is that we have so much to talk about," Mia said as she waved a hand in direction of the two other Rangers present in the kitchen, "And I thought a sleepover could be interesting. What do you say? Do you mind going ask the guys what they think about it?"

"Well, I…err…"

Regardless of her own neurotic feelings, Emily managed to see that Kevin was torn between acquiescing Mia's request and saying no. It was actually quite charming to see the two of them behaving like a couple.

"I guess I could try…" Kevin finally gave in, and Mia smiled widely at that before kissing him on the cheek. Then, she stepped backwards, releasing him. "I…well, I better go then…"

"Thank you Kevin!" Mia exclaimed as the Blue Ranger stumbled on his way out of the kitchen. When they were finally left alone, Mia turned to face Lauren and Emily again, her smile being replaced by a worried frown. "There, now we can finally have a serious talk about what's going on."

Emily swallowed dry at that.

She was doomed…

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
